Cut school admins, help classrooms?

APRIL 03, 2008

The House policy and budget council just approved Rep. Juan Zapata's proposal to cut administrative school district costs by 2.5 percent and move that money into the classroom.

"We're going to free up some dollars that we'll be able to put back into the classroom," said Zapata, Miami-Dade Republican. He said some of the most bloated administrative costs are in the Miami-Dade school district. "What's going on there is a shame."

But education reps don't want it.

Wayne Blanton, executive director for the Florida School Boards Association, said the change would take away the flexibility schools need in a time of shrinking dollars.

"That's a local issue," he said. "What might work in Pinellas County won't necessarily work for another district."

Posted by Aaron Sharockman at 11:19:52 am on April 03, 2008 in

Funding

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Gradebook features education articles and insights on schools in Florida, focusing on Tampa Bay area schools. What's the latest from the Florida Department of Education? How is the FCAT being used to compare Florida schools? What's going in on in Tampa Bay schools? Get an insider's view from the Times education reporting team.

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Rebecca Catalanello covers Pinellas County schools. E-mail her: rcatalanello@tampabay.com.

Tony Marrero covers Hernando County schools. E-mail him: tmarrero@tampabay.com.

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